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July 03, 2006
Capital Times Editorial: Pepper spray vs. democracy
Posted by Gary Storck
Monday, July 03, 2006
Today’s Madison's Cap Times had a great editorial about the brutal attack on Ben Masel by University police last Thursday. I've heard rumors that neither the Union employees who confronted Ben and summoned police, nor the University Police officers who assaulted Ben, even knew who he was. If they had bothered to read Thursday’s Cap Times, they would have found a column by Doug Moe "MATC Incident Was Vintage Masel" click here about Ben educating MATC and winning lawsuits for similar incidents! The Union management must be spitting bricks at what a monumental blunder this was as the stars align against them.
Here’s some advice: Issue that apology posthaste, and get out the checkbook. This is Madison and the Union should have known better, not just that it was Ben, but it was what universities are supposed to be about.
Source: Capital Times
Pubdate: July 3, 2006
(Source: Capital Times)
EDITORIAL: PEPPER SPRAY VS. DEMOCRACYFor as long as anyone can remember, candidates for public office have circulated their nominating petitions on the Memorial Union Terrace.
Packed with Wisconsinites, most of them in a mellow mood, the terrace is an ideal spot for would-be contenders to gather the signatures they need to earn a place on local and statewide ballots.
So why was one of Madison's most experienced candidates pepper-sprayed, arrested and charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest for the "crime" of being on the terrace circulating petitions for his race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate?
The explanation that UW Police have offered is not reassuring.
They claim that Ben Masel was in violation of an administrative code that restricts the Memorial Union to students, staff, faculty and members, "except on occasions when, and in those areas where, the buildings or grounds are open to the general public."
But the incident involving Masel took place during a hip-hop concert that had been widely advertised off campus and in local newspapers. In other words, it was precisely the sort of event where the grounds are open to the public.
Of course, anyone who has been paying attention knows that candidates - including statewide officeholders - circulate petitions on the terrace even when concerts aren't in progress.
So the singling out of Masel is troubling. Even more troubling are the official descriptions of the incident, which do not paint an appealing picture of the actions taken by the officers involved in the incident.
If UW and Memorial Union officials are smart, they will apologize to Masel and drop the charges.
If they are really smart, they will invite him - and all other candidates who are interested in circulating nomination petitions - to gather signatures on the terrace during the period leading up to next week's filing deadline.
The University of Wisconsin campus should be a safe haven for democratic discourse and participation, not a place where candidates are pepper-sprayed and arrested.
Posted by Gary at July 3, 2006 12:00 PM
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